“We are a community old in experience but young in wonder.”
Steven Charleston
I am grateful for the gifts of sunrise, community, experience, wisdom, awe and wonder!
I hope you have a wonderful weekend.
I wonder…
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Inner silent land…
Sunrise at Pineridge Natural Area Sometimes I can be overwhelmed when too many conversations are going on in my head. These disruptive conversations can be a distraction from the present moment. It reminds me of the intense chatter of the magpie sitting on the fence post near me as I witness the sunrise. It seems their only focus is about grabbing my attention, pulling me away. And, that chatter is so different, an irritating noise, rather than the songs of the heart I hear from the meadowlark or chickadee, which for me is more of an invitation to watch and listen. I am finding it a gift in learning to let go of my mind’s chatter and be more receptive to listening to my inner “silent land.” I hope you have had a wonderful Monday.
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Silence of Early Mornings
“The body is a great reservoir of wisdom. Something as simple as bodily stillness and breathing make a contribution of untold value to discovering the unfathomable silence deep within us.”
Martin LairdA light rain fell during the night leaving the air soaked in moisture. I found it very invigorating to me when I stepped out the door and ventured into the new day. I witnessed the gift of sunrise at Pineridge Natural Area. As I looked east the foothills behind me had a dusting of light snow while low hanging clouds blanketed their peaks. But the warm colors of the rising sun and the golden glow on the rabbitbrush was where my photographer’s eye focused. I love the silence, the stillness of early mornings. Spring is quickly coming and change is inevitable. Hoping you have a wonderful day!
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Only the meadow remains…
This morning’s sunrise at Pineridge Natural Area In the early morning hours
mws
I sit in silence with the meadow and
allow her to embrace me.
I share the dawn of this new day
while listening to the owl’s cry
echo through the meadow.
This shared intimacy with the meadow
has a way of giving birth to new life
in the ground of my being.
… I am, therefore, never the same!
And, I hear in this sacred place
an unspoken invitation to return again
each time bringing an awareness that
each short visit is but a passing moment.
So, whenever and while I still can
I will sit with the meadow
until only the meadow remains.1This was inspired from a poem written by Li Po (Zazen on Ching-t’ing Mountain) in the book Poetry of Presence: An Anthology of Mindfulness Poems. -
It’s dang cold…
It was -8 degrees at 5 am. I told my barista this morning that anyone who’s out in this weather has got to be nuts, crazy, wack-o, insane, stupid, and definitely not to be trusted. They agreed but were glad to see at least one crazy irregular show up, even if it was me! It looks like everyone in the nation is just as cold! I’m enjoying my Old Town mocha. Stay warm.
“When you arise in the morning think of what a privilege it is to be alive, to think, to enjoy, to love …”
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations -
Listening Carefully
Predawn at Pineridge Natural Area – April 2021 Have you ever heard the wonderful silence just before the dawn? Or the quiet and calm just as a storm ends? Or perhaps you know the silence when you haven’t the answer to a question you’ve been asked, or the hush of a country road at night, or the expectant pause of a room full of people when someone is just about to speak, or, most beautiful of all, the moment after the door closes and you’re alone in the whole house? Each one is different, you know, and all very beautiful if you listen carefully.
Norton Juster -
I believe…
Pineridge Natural Area – December 2020 I have made it through some hard times in my life.
Steven Charleston
I imagine you have too.
Looking back, I can honestly say
That in more than one of those times
I was not sure I would make it.
The presence of a living and conscious love
Got me through.
I can only call it Spirit.
So my faith is not the product of an emotional need
Or an intellectual imagining.
I believe because I know. Because I have been there.
Because of my experience.
I cannot convince others of this truth.
I can only share it and wait to see
The light of memory in their eyes.I believe in the presence of a living and conscious love
because I, too, have been there and experienced it. -
I am grateful!
Meditation is the attempt to provide the soul with the proper environment in which to grow and become.
Morton T. KelseyAs the quote suggests I’ve come to believe that starting each morning with a meditation time provides my soul with the proper environment in which to grow and become. But, I also include my time in nature as part of my meditation. The beauty, serenity, and silence of a sunrise and being able to share it, does something to my soul, just as the twenty minutes sitting on a zafu cushion does. And, both of these experiences are the perks in my retirement years and for being an early riser. I am grateful!
